The Petunia is a very popular plant that is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few Petunia varieties which do not have an upright growth habit and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, cold, and diseases. The Petunias of the Revolution series include `Revolution Purplepink` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,915), `Revolution Brilliantpink` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914), `Revolution Brilliantpink-mini` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,899), and `Revolution Bluevein` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,322). These are decumbent type plants having long stems, a lower plant height, abundant branching, and a high resistance to heat, cold and rain. However, there are only a few Petunia varieties having a great profusion of flowers, pastel-colored flower petals and a high resistance to rain, heat, cold and diseases. Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new Petunia variety having pale purple colored petals with a vivid purple vein pattern, together with the above features.
The new variety of Petunia.times.hybrida Hort. plant according to this invention originated from crossing the `Blue Daddy` (.female.) variety (non-patented in the United States) and a wild type of Petunia plant `NW-1` (.male.) native to Brazil (non-patented in the United States).
Initially, 75 seedlings were obtained from crossing the `Blue Daddy` variety as female parent and the `NW-1` wild type of Petunia plant as pollen parent in July 1994. From this crossing 4 seedlings were selected in view of their decumbent growth habit and pale purple colored petals with a vivid purple vein pattern. These 4 seedlings were grown and were tested during potting and bedding trials. Only one plant of the present invention was selected in 1995. The botanical characteristics of the finally-selected plant were then examined, using similar variety `Revolution Bluevein` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,322) for comparison. As a result, it was concluded that this new Petunia is distinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us, and is uniform and stable in its characteristics following asexual propagation by the use of cuttings at Mishima gun, Oosaka-fu, Japan. The new variety of Petunia of the present invention was named `Revolution Bluevein No.2`.
In the following description, the color information is in accordance with The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. A color chart based on The Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plants (J.H.S. Color Chart) is also added for reference.
The new variety of the present invention can be readily distinguished from its `Blue Daddy` female parent. More specifically, the growth habit of the `Blue Daddy` variety is erect and spreading while that of the new variety is decumbent and spreading. Also, the primary and secondary branching of the new variety is more abundant.
The seeds of the `NW-1` male parent of the new variety of the present invention were gathered at Gramado, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil, and were introduced to Japan in October, 1983. The main botanical characteristics of the `NW-1` male parent used in the breeding of the new `Revolution Bluevein No. 2` variety are as follows:
Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower:
Growth habit.--Decumbent. PA2 Plant height.--20 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--100-150 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--May to August in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Length.--50-80 cm. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 2.0-3.0 mm; and lateral stem 1.5-2.5 mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Dense. PA2 Branching.--Very abundant. PA2 Length of internode.--1.0-2.0 cm before blooming; and 1.5-3.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144B-144C, J.H.S. 3512-3513). PA2 Shape.--Oval. PA2 Length.--4.5-5.5 cm. PA2 Width.--2.5-3.5 cm. PA2 Color.--Grayish olive green (R.H.S. 137A-137B, J.H.S. 3716-3717). PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Opposite both before and during blooming. PA2 Pubescence.--Sparse. PA2 Facing direction.--Opening obliquely upward. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five petals. PA2 Diameter.--4.0-5.0 cm. PA2 Color.--In the unopened stage (bud), dark reddish purple (R.H.S. 79B, J.H.S. 8907-8909); when open, vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. 74A, J.H.S. 9207), and at full bloom, vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. 80A, J.H.S. 8906). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 pistil and 5 stamens. PA2 Peduncle.--0.9-1.2 mm in thickness, and 2.0-2.5 cm in length. PA2 Physiological and ecological characteristics.--High resistance to cold, relatively high resistance to heat, and moderate resistance to disease and pests. PA2 Growth habit.--Decumbent. The stems hang down when potted in a hanging pot. PA2 Plant height.--20-25 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--The stems extend to length of 70-80 cm from the base, and thus the spreading area of the plant is 140-160 cm in diameter. PA2 Growth.--Very vigorous with abundant branching, and a great profusion of blooms with the entire plant remaining in bloom for a considerable period of time. PA2 Blooming period.--Late March to the beginning of October in the southern Kanto area of Japan. The plant shape does not change throughout this period. PA2 Thickness.--Medium; 4.0-6.0 mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Present. PA2 Branching.--Abundant. Especially the primary branching is very abundant. PA2 Length of internode.--Short; 2.0-4.0 cm. PA2 Anthocyanin pigmentation--Absent. PA2 Shape.--Lanceolate. PA2 Length.--3.0-4.0 cm. PA2 Width.--1.5-3.5 cm. PA2 Color.--Moderate yellow green (R.H.S. 137C, J.H.S. 3712). PA2 Attaching angle.--Horizontal. PA2 Thickness.--Medium; 0.6-0.8 cm. PA2 Pubescence.--Present. PA2 Facing direction.--Slanting upward. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shaped, with five petals. PA2 Waving of petal.--Weak. PA2 Lobation of petal.--Shallow. PA2 Petal shape at tip.--Obverse. PA2 Petal color fading.--Medium. PA2 Diameter.--Small; 5.0-6.0 cm. PA2 Petal bi-color.--Present. PA2 Petal variegated pattern of corolla.--Vein pattern. PA2 Petal ground color.--Very pale purple (R.H.S. 91C-91D, J.H.S. 8301-8302). PA2 Petal color of variegated pattern.--Moderate purple (R.H.S. 83A, J.H.S. 8608). Bottom color of the corolla throat is vivid purple (R.H.S. 88A, J.H.S. 8306). The outside of corolla tube is very pale purple (R.H.S. 91D, J.H.S. 8302). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 pistil and 5 stamens. PA2 Physiological and ecological characteristics.--High resistance to rain, heat, drought and-moderate resistance to pests.
The botanical characteristics of `Revolution Bluevein`, which is similar variety to the new Petunia plant `Revolution Bluevein No. 2`, are as follows: